From: utzoo!decvax!cca!hplabs!hao!seismo!harpo!zeppo!whuxk!houxm!npois!npoiv!alice!rabbit!wolit@sri-unix
Newsgroups: net.aviation
Title: Re: lost com procedures in IFR
Article-I.D.: rabbit.974
Posted: Tue Dec  7 15:49:11 1982
Received: Fri Dec 10 05:10:57 1982

While it's true that the probability of losing both coms independently
is quite small, the probability of alternator failure is much larger.
Once your alternator goes, you don't lose all electrical power at
once, you're just forced to rely on your battery for all the juice you
use.  If you shut down all electrical devices except one nav radio,
you could probably keep going for quite some time -- my guess is that
you'd be able to complete your trip.  Transmitting takes a lot more
power than receiving, so after letting ATC know what was up, you'd
probably be better off saving the energy for navigation, and let them
worry about clearing the airspace ahead of you -- that's what your
flight plan was for.

	Jan Wolitzky, BTL MH